Moss: A Skyrim whump story
by PieFanart
Summary: Moss is an orphan who works her way into the Dark Brotherhood. TW for heavy whump in further chapters.
1. Chapter 1

Please note:  
This is probably really bad. Im an artist mostly, not a writer. So I apologize in advance.

There will also be graphic descriptions of torture and interrogation. If this squicks or triggers you turn back now.  
There isnt really a storyline to this. The character is a skyrim oc of mine. Her name is Moss and she is 18. She isnt the dragonborn, just a random homeless kid with anxiety who somehow is in the Dark Brotherhood? Just. Dont question It.

This completely doesnt follow the skyrim storyline and is kind of mary sue so please dont bring that up in the comments ^^"

Finally, I have at least three learning disabilities, so my writing is bad because of that. I have trouble putting my thoughts into words. So my sentances are probably very odd.

Chapter One

Moss wasn't a regular kid. She was scrawny, and small, and fit into places that most kids outgrew when they were six or seven. Her hair was brown with the slightest reddish tinge to the edges, and she had eyes so dark brown people swore they were black. Her ribs always showed through her light tan skin, no matter how much she ate. Her legs always shook when she ran. Her hands always fidgeted at her sides when she was standing still. People tended to stay away from her when she was in public.  
She was abandoned as a baby, born a month premature. Nobody knows who her parents were, just that she appeared outside the orphanage one night. When she was five, she ran off and never looked back, hopping from city to city across Skyrim, stealing apples and bread and pickpocketing small coins off of passing strangers to keep herself going. She knew the best hiding places when the guards came looking for her, and often slept indoors inside of cabinets and wardrobes during the winter, unbeknownst to her hosts.  
Soon enough she was an adult. She didn't really know her birthday, just that she was abandoned when the leaves began turning orange, and that 18 autumns had happened since then. Which meant, she was now an adult. No matter what she did, and what she got in trouble for, she didn't have to worry about being sent back to the orphanage. However, it did mean that she could serve prison time. Moss wasn't quite sure if that was such a good trade off, but there was nothing she could do about it anyways.

Moss pulled her thick browny-grey cowl closer around her neck, her thin fingers white and frozen in the cold wind. She needed to find somewhere warm to camp for a while. The people in Falkreath were kind enough, and the blacksmith would let her sit by his fire through the night, but she couldn't stay in one place for too long. She preferred a low profile, and if she stayed there then people might get to know her. The last thing she needed was to form relationships. She knew that the people would eventually get tired of her begging, or become savvy to her thievery. Either way she would be thrown out of the town, and it was better to leave on one's own terms.

Moss sat down on a rock for a moment, to catch her breath. She spotted a berry bush a few feet away: dinner. She walked over and began plucking the berries from the bush. It was far past their season, and they had been picked by birds and withered in the summer sunshine, but they weren't molded or rotted, so they would be perfectly safe to eat. Besides, even if they were molded, that wouldn't stop her. She had eaten worse.

As she munched on the mostly dried berries, she spotted a small nightshade growing in a tuft of grass by her feet. _How odd_, she thought to herself, _nightshade don't grow around here. They belong near the graveyard, if anything._

Moss knelt down by the flower, her long fingers gently caressing the petals. She never had any use for flowers, poisonous or not, but she still enjoyed their beauty.

As she stood back up, she noticed another one just a few feet ahead. And another. She followed what seemed like a trail of flowers, until she came to a large number of them just underneath the edge of a cliff. And….. a door? Moss narrowed her eyes. She had never known of anyone living outside of Falkreath like this. Suddenly, she heard the distinct sound of hooves in the distance and dove behind a large bush, out of sight. A tall figure on a smokey black horse rode up. The figure, a woman, dismounted the horse as soon as she was near to the cliff and its mysterious door. The horse walked over to a small black pond and dissolved into goo, disappearing entirely into the murky water. Moss brought her hand up to her mouth and clamped it over tightly to prevent her gasp from being heard.

The woman approached the ominous stone door, pressing her hand to the handprint engraved on the forehead of the skull.

"What…. Is the music… of life?" Came a deep, raspy voice. Moss watched, not daring to move an inch, hoping that the slight shake to her spindly legs didn't draw any attention to herself. Squatting wasn't her strongsuit.

The woman leaned her head in to the door, until it was nearly touching.  
"Silence, my brother," she whispered, her voice barely audible above the fall wind.  
"Welcome….. home…" The door said, and opened, scraping against the rocky ground. The woman walked inside, the door shutting heavily behind her. Moss narrowed her eyes once more. She _had_ to get into that room and see what was inside. She just had to.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Nightfall came slowly for Moss. She was sitting with her legs crossed in her lap behind her hiding-bush, watching the door to see if anyone else would go in. But nobody did, and it was close to midnight by now.

The wind howled in her ears, and a chill ran down her spine. She pulled her thin clothes closer once more, hoping to keep the cold at bay. Moss was no Nord; the cold was unbearable to her, but she had learned to become used to it.

Moss took a deep breath. She was going to get inside that… cave….house….thing. She stood up and dusted the pebbles off of her legs. Walking on her tiptoes, she approached the door. Her legs were shaking, from both the cold and her nerves.

The door was a few inches taller then her. Hand shaking intensely, she reached up and pressed her palm to the handprint. Her long fingers filled the imprint, but there was a large area left around her palm where the rock showed through.

"What….. is the music… of life?" The door asked. Moss had been right, it asked the same question no matter the person. She let out her held breath.

"Silence, my brother," her small thin voice breathed.  
"Welcome...home," the door replied, and slowly swung open just as she had seen. Moss slipped through as soon as the crack was big enough for her small form. The door shut behind her. Moss froze for a moment, as she collected her nerves and surveyed her surroundings.

The area was dimly lit, with cobwebs hanging from the corners. The stones used for the floor were large and dusty, and very old. But the place didn't feel unfriendly to Moss at all; rather it felt familiar in an odd way. She stepped forward tentatively, careful to avoid any traps that may be lurking for her to walk into. She walked down a flight of stairs, and around a corner. Everyone seemed to be sleeping.

The woman from before was laying in a large bed by a roaring fire, with a white haired man laying next to her, his arm around her waist. A wedge of cheese lay on the table by the bedside. Moss's stomach growled; she hadn't eaten since she found those berries. The woman stirred slightly in her sleep and Moss held her breath, but she did not awaken. Moss breathed a gentle sigh of relief.

Carefully, cautiously, she tiptoed to the bedside, reaching out and grabbing the cheese and snatching it quickly back to herself. She walked backwards out of the room, her eyes watching the pair in bed to make sure they didn't see her. As soon as she was out of the room, she bit into the cheese. It melted on her tongue, creamy and delicious. She smiled despite herself and put the rest of it into her little hip bag. Moss explored the rest of the area, quiet as a mouse. She found a huge spider curled up like a cat, holding a long bone in its palps. The rest of the skeleton lay nearby; a gangly thing and very obviously human. Moss shuddered, was this what these people did to those who broke in? She considered leaving, but the cheese in her pouch told her to stay.

Stay. She needed a place to hide, surely these people wouldn't want her here. She padded around the large stony room, her careful eyes searching for a hiding place. They landed on a small crack in the stone between a huge wall with strange words and the wall next to it. She grinned and walked closer. Yes, she would fit in between easily.  
Moss nimbly squeezed into the crack and was delighted to find that there was a small opening inside, just enough room for her to sleep and hide a small stash of food.  
Yes, this place would do nicely.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Moss awoke only an hour later, to the sound of someone noisily stomping through the cavern. Moss pressed her face to the crevice opening of her hidey-hole to watch.

A young girl, not possibly older then ten, was pacing in circles, fuming. Blood dribbled slightly from her mouth.

"Guards! Always guards! And their stupid night patrols!" The girl yelled, her hands balled in fists at her side. She stomped her foot. "I had just begun eating, and they had to interrupt my supper!" She screeched.

A redguard man dressed in a plain black tunic with a red headwrap walked around the corner, glowering at the girl.

"Go to bed like a normal person, you little she-devil!" He yelled. The girl hissed at him, and in the light Moss could clearly see her pointed yellow fangs and blood red eyes. Moss jumped back slightly.

"A vampire," she whispered under her breath, before clamping a hand over her own mouth.

"Maybe I will, if you give me some of your blood, Nazir," the girl said, putting her hands on her hips.

The redguard, Nazir, shot her a glare and then rolled his eyes. "Not happening."

Suddenly, the woman Moss had seen on the horse walked around the corner. She was wearing a rather skimpy red dress and her long blonde hair was messily pushed behind her ears.  
"Both of you shut up or there will be a contract fulfilled on both of you by morning," she spat, then turned on her heel and walked briskly back to her room.

The girl and Nazir exchanged glaces, then parted ways, the redguard going back to the room he came from and the girl sitting at the table by the spider. Moss watched her for a while, but her sleepiness got the better of her, and she laid back down again to sleep, hopefully this time until the morning had come.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Moss did in fact sleep until the morning. She was awoken by the sound of a blacksmith at work. She poked her head to the edge of the crack, not daring to get too close in fear of being noticed.  
The man with white hair was busy repairing a sword, muttering under his breath about something, probably related to the condition of said sword.

But that wasn't much concern to Moss. What _was_, on the other hand, was the circle of people including the woman with the horse, and the two from last night. They were all wearing similar black and red outfits.

"I'm telling you, I left it there just before I went to bed!" The woman said angrily.

"Astrid, relax. I don't think any of us took it," Nazir replied coolly.

" 'any of us'? What, do you think someone managed to sneak in here?" The woman- Astrid, replied. Nazir crossed his arms and opened his mouth to speak but the little girl interrupted him.

"Maybe it was the rats. I saw one last night by my bed."

Astrid seemed to consider this for a moment.

"Yes, maybe. Perhaps you could brew some potion to get rid of them, Babette?" She replied.

Babette grinned. "How about a poisoned loaf of bread left in the corner?" She suggested. Astrid waved her hand, giving the child permission and began walking casually away.

"However," she paused, "just in case there _is_ someone who snuck in, make sure to keep an eye on your supplies. All of you." The other figures nodded their heads and Astrid left the room.

"And if there is a thief among us, I will find him. And I will show him what happens when you steal from the Dark Brotherhood," the Argonian said.

Moss jumped back, clamping both hands over her mouth to quiet her sudden rapid breathing.

_The…. The Dark Brotherhood….. This is bad, I should get out of here, I need to leave now_, she thought to herself, her brain frantic with trying to figure out an escape route. But none came quickly, that didn't involve waiting until nighttime and hoping to sneak out the way she came in.

The other members talked amoung themselves for a while, telling stories of their kills and legends of the brotherhood's glory days. Slowly, Moss's pulse slowed and she began to think rationally again.  
She leaned back against the far wall, so she was hidden but still had a clear view of the open area.

Her stomach growled and she instinctively threw her arms around herself to muffle it. She remembered the cheese- the stolen cheese- hidden in her pocket and pulled it out, nibbling on it slowly. It might be the only bit of food she would have for a while, so she needed to make it last.

Moss leaned her head back against the wall.  
"What a predicament I've gotten myself into…." She murmured to herself, closing her eyes.

She meant to only have them shut for a split second, but she had apparently fallen asleep as she was jolted awake by someone grabbing her arm and pulling her out of her hiding spot.  
Moss gaped, her eyes wide as Nazir grabbed her wrists, tying them together quickly.

"Good job, Festus, your spell worked. It seems our little 'mouse' is a bit bigger then most, though." The elderly man smiled. "I have a spell for everything," he replied simply.  
Nazir turned his attention to Moss, who was trying to not hyperventilate.  
"So, little mouse, do you have a name?" he asked, his voice cold. Moss glanced frantically around, frozen in fear.  
"P-please don't kill me," she breathed. She felt sick to her stomach, remembering the skeleton by the spider she had seen the previous day. She tried to wrench her arm free of Nazir's grip but she wouldn't have been strong enough on a good day, much less when she was petrified in fear.

"That will depends on how quickly you can answer me, mouse," he replied sternly. Moss took a deep gulp of air.

"I-i-i'm Mo…. Moss," She stammered out.

"And just how did you get in here?" Astrid asked, walking around the corner, her arms crossed and her eyes narrowed in a piercing glare.

"I-i saw y-you op-pen the door, I-i m-memor-memorized the p-password you s-said, p-please don't hurt me I was just so cold and hungy-" Moss's stammering improved the faster she spoke, her words picking up as she tried to get out another plea for life, but Astrid interrupted her.

"You were watching me? Have you been trying to get in for a while?" She pressed. Moss shook her head vigorously.

"N-no, I ju-just stumbled ac-cross it, I didn't know you were- you were-" she breathed in deeply, in her struggle to speak she had forgotten to breath.  
"The Dark Brotherhood." Astrid finished her thought, somehow making it sound like a death sentence. Moss gave a tiny nod. "So, you're an orphan then?" Moss nodded again, opened her mouth, and then shut it to gather her thoughts. Astrid lifted an eyebrow, pressing the younger woman onwards into explaining herself.

"I- I didn't like the orphanage, the woman who runs it is cruel, and I… I wanted to explore the world. You can't send me back there though! I, I mean, I'm not a child anymore, they wouldn't let me in," she clarified. Astrid nodded slowly.  
"So you live by yourself? There's no-one important in your life?"

Moss gulped. "N-no, I wander from city to city," she answered. Astrid glanced at Nazir, and his iron grip on her arm waned, though her hands were still tied. Moss dared not move. The three stood in silence for a while, while Astrid thought. Festus Krex had walked over to a chair by the spider pit to watch from a distance, and catch up on his reading.

After a few infinite minutes, Moss spoke up, her voice barely audible.  
"What are you going to do with me?" She asked, glancing up at Astrid with her big black-brown eyes. Her fingertips messed with the frayed end of the ropes that held her hands together. Astrid furrowed her brow for a split second, then smoothed out.

"I considered having a child for the longest time. But such a thing would only cause problems in the Brotherhood, and a small child wandering around here would be dangerous. And babies give me a headache. But you, you could be my… apprentice. You remind me of myself when I was a kid, though I doubt you've even had your first kill yet. But we will fix that, in time. However, you must promise to not steal any more food," Astrid decided. Moss stared at her a few moments, dumbstruck. She wasn't going to die? And on top of that, someone wanted her to…. Stay? And to look after her?

Moss didn't even register the fact that Astrid was encouraging her to murder innocent people, she was just surprised she wasn't going to kill her immediately.

"I- y-yes, I promise!" Moss replied.

~~~~~~~~~~  
Author's notes:  
So sorry about the previous chapters being so short! I have the whole story plotted out in my mind but i am terrible at putting thoughts into words haha ^^"

anyways, i based Moss's stuttery dialogue here on my own speech pattern. I am autistic and have severe social anxiety and ptsd, so my speech is awkward at best. But the faster i speak, and the more confident i am, the clearer it is. The more anxious i am the more it falls apart.

I havent decided yet if Moss is autistic, it seems most of my ocs are because i tend to base them on myself haha.

Yes, i know this would totally never happen and im probably taking characters ooc. But i dont care. this is my story and illl write it how i please.

Thanks for reading! xoxo


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